Little Anecdotes of My Mom

I remember my Mom hanging out wash on a windy day. She loved hanging out the wash. I was at the neighbors and watched this scene in slow motion from afar. Our cat BJ came walking across the yard, like a cowboy,  brandishing a wriggling snake and Mom was doing her thing with the wash, with her back to our cat and the wriggling snake. I watched the scene unfold slowly and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Both Mom, the snake and the cat survived.

Mom gave me my little talk about the birds and the bees because she was the man of the house. She used our dog Freddy as a prop. Freddy was a girl.

My Mom entered our cat in a cat show that took place at the Boscov’s department store. They both walked away with a first prize. There was a picture of her in the local newspaper with her, in a beehive haircut and Matthew.

She was intuitive and figured out things before we did, I was sitting in my room, minding my own business when she walked into my brothers room and confronted him about smoking cigarettes. My brothers response was, “yeah Mom I have been getting high.”

On picture day when my little brother was to have his class pictures taken, she never checked his wardrobe. Rob had his school picture taken in full scale Indian (American) garb. I wish I still had the photo.

She used to always tell us when we got a spanking that it hurt her more than it hurt us. The last time i remember hearing this the spatula broke in half.

My mother was diagnosed with cancer and for the most part she kicked Cancer’s ass until she couldn’t.

My Mom could hold a grudge, she gave her sister the silent treatment for 15 years.

When i was about 8 years old she and our Dad would play Tennis on Sunday nights. I don’t remember all the details but anybody who could get my Dad to wear shorts had to be pretty damn special.  I have never seen him wear shorts so I am making some assumptions here.

She got her associates degree when she was close to forty.

Once a handy man came to our house and fixed something and my Mom being the nice person she was offered him coffee.  He took one sip and said, Ma’am if that is coffee I giving up the habit,  She could not make coffee.

She made Macaroni and Cheese using Campbell’s cheese soup as the foundation. Most people don’t even know it is a product. It was the best damn Mac and Cheese on the planet.

Her middle name was Sundra. It is the only time I have ever heard that name.

She took a wood working class at a local school and made some really cool things. I am not talking about things where you say they are nice, these were well crafted wood projects. This amazes me to this day. She was a lifelong learner.

So I am told, her husband’s parents use to think she came from the wrong side of the tracks. She earned their respect even though it wasn’t necessary.

She loved her grandchildren to no end.

She was generally a pessimist, yet every December 21st she reminded us the days were getting longer.

And we all miss her.